Out of interest, I wonder how much time people put into learning their language of choice ... and how that works for them.Is there a recommended daily amount of time that one should spend studying a language if you want to improve at a steady pace?On average, i'd say I spend anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours a day actively studying .... whether its reviewing flash cards, going through my Text book, writing Lang-8 journals etc etc etc. Is that normal? Or do people actually study a lot more than that? I think the quality of the learning experience is more important than quantity I guess, and that will vary for everyone. Furthermore, one's goals will determine how much time they spend studying. For me, I really want to get to grips with this language, and i'd be aiming to be "fairly" competent in say 5 years time? I guess without going to Japan and spending a decent amount of time there I suppose this would be unrealistic right?

I fully agree with Mike.However, if you're not studying for your enjoyment, and are studying to achieve some goal, I would say study as much as you possibly can without burning out.

When I got to Japan, I studied about 5-6 hours a day after work (and always had flashcards on hand during work). Breaks in studying were filled with watching Japanese TV and taking memos of words that I could pick up but didn't know.

After a year, I started getting ready for the JLPT, and changed my study habits to 5-6 hours after work at the local diner, so there would be no TV distractions. Once a week I went to an hour long private Japanese class. And I still always carried my flashcards with me -- waiting for a train? Flashcards. Standing in line at the supermarket? Flashcards. Talking to someone I have no interest in talking to? Flashcards.